A Florida woman who used the identities of a grieving family to set up fake donation pages after the deadly Camp Mystic floods was sentenced to three years in prison.
Maitlin White, 29, accepted a plea deal in a Harris County courtroom on July 17, 2026, for two counts of online impersonation.
District Judge Lance Long handed down the sentence shortly after the agreement was finalized, and court records show White will receive credit for the 111 days she has already spent behind bars.
On July 4, 2025, there was catastrophic flooding on the Guadalupe River and it swept through Camp Mystic, where people were camping, as reported by Houston Chronicles.
Tragically, eighteen-year-old counselor Chloe Childress was one of the victims who died alongside a fellow counselor and 24 campers.
However, just four days after the disaster, on July 8, 2025, White used Childress' cell phone to create fundraising campaigns on GoFundMe and SpotFund.
According to investigators, she set up the accounts using the name of Chloe's father, Matthew Childress, without his knowledge or consent.
She filled those pages with photos of Chloe Childress and wrote a description of the tragedy, as per Houston Chronicles.
When Matthew Childress discovered the fraud, he alerted the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office on July 10, two days after the pages were set up.
He told investigators plainly that he did not know White and had never given her permission to raise money in his daughter’s name.
When authorities tracked White down, she admitted to the scheme. She told investigators she was a single mother of two children who was simply looking for a quick way to make some money.
Luckily, before any of the donated money reached White's hand GoFundMe stopped the fundraiser. Then, the company issued refunds to everyone who had contributed and permanently banned White from using the platform for any future fundraising.
White was arrested in Florida in January 2026 and extradited to Houston in April. She had remained in custody ever since.
Online impersonation is a third-degree felony in Texas, carrying a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
However, because of her plea agreement, she received a three year sentence, as reported by Click2Houston News.
"It is inexcusable how she sought to prey on the emotions of our community and abused the family of Chloe Childress who have endured an unimaginable tragedy," said Precinct One Constable Alan Rosen at the sentencing.
"Let this be a warning to anyone else who ever seeks to engage in such schemes in the future."
Rosen also reflected on what the family was already going through at the time White launched her scam. "The last thing they needed to do was have somebody that was profiting off of their daughter," he said. "To take advantage of a situation where a family is already devastated, to take further advantage of them, it's sad."
The Harris County District Attorney's Office praised the quick work of investigators. Courtney Fischer, a spokeswoman for the office, noted that they stopped the scam before any donations were lost. "We hope this accountability brings some comfort to the survivors and their families," Fischer said.
Also, the sentencing happened exactly one year after the Camp Mystic disaster, and coincidentally, floodwaters began rising again in the same Texas Hill Country region.
This has prompted the Texas Attorney General's Office to issue a fresh warning, urging people to verify any charity or fundraiser before donating.
They also advised donors to avoid wire transfers or sharing personal financial information with unverified sources.
Rosen echoed that advice for anyone whose instincts push them to give in the wake of a tragedy.
"As you want to help and as big as your heart is to want to give to people that are suffering so greatly right now ... just verify, do a little due diligence, do a little homework, vet the sources before you just go and give money really quickly," he said.
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